

V) 



PREFACE 



GREENLAND by the Polar Sea " is the story, now intro- 

 duced to English readers, of Mr. Knud Rasmussen's 

 last expedition to the Polar shores of North Greenland. 

 He counts it as his Fourth Thule Expedition, which shows how 

 active and persevering has been his exploration of North Green- 

 land since 1910, when he first formed his base of operations, and 

 pa trading station, at North Star Bay, and gave it the name of 

 r/ Thule. Two of these remarkable expeditions were sledge 

 £ journeys across the inland-ice to the north-eastern and northern 

 coasts of Greenland which yielded valuable results, clearing up 

 -some geographical doubts, and practically linking up the eastern 

 {{I and western discoveries of former explorers. Knud Rasmussen 

 vjmay confidently be said to be a very special and exceptionally 

 favoured explorer of these regions, for not only was he born in 

 • Greenland and lived there as a boy, but his life among the Green- 

 J landers and Eskimos, his perfect knowledge of their language, 

 .Jr his admiration of their character, courage, and loyalty, and his 

 'o intense desire to be the historian of their origin, traditions, and 

 V future development have, in a large measure, inspired him with 

 the explorer's enthusiasm and have made him feel it to be pos- 

 sible, with slender means and limited resources, to complete the 

 work begun by the far more costly expeditions which have gone 

 before. These advantages, however, would have availed nothing 

 without Knud Rasmussen's own personal qualities as an explorer 

 — every page of the narrative shows his high capacity and 

 thoughtfulness as a commander, his resourcefulness and daring 

 as a leader, and the splendid courage and power of endurance 

 which carried him through a time of extreme trial and responsi- 

 bility. It was his firm support and example which saved the 

 party from death on the return journey. 



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